Destination Fear is a new paranormal show that has started up on the Travel Channel. For the most part, it is what most people would expect from something focused on visiting the most haunted places in the United States. However, there are some things that make it stand out. One would be its focus on the nature of human fear, while another would be the family dynamics thanks to its choice of a brother and a sister for its team. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Destination Fear:
1. Three Team Members
In total, there are three team members for Destination Fear. First, there is Dakota Laden, who takes the lead. Second, there is Chelsea Laden, who is Dakota’s sister. Third, there is Tanner Wiseman, who is Dakota’s best friend.
2. Dakota Takes the Lead
Out of the three, Dakota is the one who takes the lead on Destination Fear. This makes sense because he is the one with the most passion about being a paranormal investigator, which in turn, means that he is the one who has become most prominent because of it. For proof, consider the fact that Dakota was invited to get involved with Ghost Adventures, the show that inspired him to start filming in the first place.
3. Chelsea and Tanner Are Interested in Paranormal Investigation
With that said, both Chelsea and Tanner are very much interested in paranormal investigation. In Chelsea’s case, she is apparently someone who enjoys the thrill of exploring scary places as well as someone who enjoys learning more about the history behind those scary places. Meanwhile, Tanner is apparently someone with a fascination for abandoned places as well as the stories that come attached to those abandoned places.
4. Part of the Travel Channel’s October Programming
Halloween is in October. As a result, it isn’t uncommon to see channels broadcast scary or otherwise suitable content to match the spirit of the month. In the Travel Channel’s case, it increased its offering of paranormal shows, with Destination Fear being an excellent example. Said show started up on October 26 with the first of ten episodes for the first season. Presumably, if it finds favor with the viewers, it will have a chance for further seasons in the times to come.
5. Limited to U.S. Locations
The team for Destination Fear is traveling from place to place using a RV. Due to this, it should come as no surprise to learn that the show is limited to U.S. locations. On the one hand, there are plenty of abandoned places in the United States for paranormal investigators to look into; on the other hand, one can’t help but wonder whether the reduced cost of filming these paranormal shows with this particular limitation played a role in this matter.
6. Debut Episode Features a Prison
For those who are curious, the first episode features a prison that the marketing for the show calls the Alcatraz of the South. On the whole, prisons make excellent choices for paranormal shows, not least because of the sheer misery with which they are associated. This is particularly true with old prisons, which tend to have less than pleasant reputations thanks to the more retributive nature of the legal systems that they belonged to.
7. Second Episode Features a Hospital
Moving on, the second episode features a hospital. Like abandoned prisons, abandoned hospitals are excellent choices for paranormal shows. In part, this is because hospitals have a strong association with death as well as suffering, which isn’t fair for hospitals but is nonetheless inevitable thanks to the nature of their role. Moreover, it should be mentioned that old hospitals conjure up images of old, barbaric medical practices for a lot of people, which may or may not be fair depending on the exact circumstances.
8. Third Episode Features a Sanatorium
The third episode has a sanatorium in Radford, VA. For those who are unfamiliar, a sanatorium was a kind of medical facility meant for people with chronic illnesses, which was meant to fortify said individuals’ immune systems through rest as well as better nutrition. In particular, such medical facilities were associated with the infectious disease called tuberculosis. As such, when the discovery of antibiotics provided a cure for tuberculosis as well as many other infectious diseases, the concept of the sanatorium fell from popularity.
9. Fourth Episode Features a Sanitorium
It was perhaps inevitable that Destination Fear would revisit the same kind of abandoned location. Regardless, the fourth episode has the Sweet Springs Sanitorium, which can be considered another term for sanatorium for the most part. In this episode, the location is spiced up with the story of a massacre of Native Americans carried out by one of George Washington’s officers, which has resulted in a curse upon the location.
10. Follows a Formula
With that said, each of the episodes follows a formula. First, Dakota always knows where the team is stopping by next, while Chelsea and Tanner remain unaware until the big reveal. Presumably, this is meant to enhance the experience for the team as well as those watching the team. However, it is unclear whether what is seen is what happened in truth, particularly since at least one of the visited locations has already been visited by the team before. In any case, once the team have arrived, they conduct the usual paranormal investigation that can be seen on a wide range of other paranormal shows. After which, one of them gets the dubious honor of spending a night in the location. Something that contributes much to the show’s interest in the nature of human fear, particularly since most of us find most things much, much scarier when we are on our own rather than in a group.
Follow Us
